As an employee, taking a holiday gives you well-deserved time off from work. Holidays have been shown to increase physical and mental well-being as well as productivity and focus. Taking a “work-free” holiday by not responding to e-mails and voicemails increases the benefits of taking time off.

#1. Don’t wait for the perfect timeThe nature of many jobs is that there will never be an easy time to take time off, no matter how well you plan for it in advance. But that’s no reason to not go at all. It’s in your employer’s best interests to have well-rested and recharged employees and vacation time is a benefit that you’ve earned, just like salary, so you should use it.

#2. Schedule Time Offfirst Schedule your time off a couple of months in advance.

#3. If You Get Vacation Time, Use ItWhether you work for yourself or for a company, don’t think of vacation as a liability. With the holidays around the corner, remember that taking three or four days off (the amount of time that most respondents said it takes them to unwind on vacation) can help your efficiency at work, your health, and even your love life.

#4. Employee Satisfaction The idea of an employee keeping work at work and home at home is antiquated. Paid vacation time-off allows an employee to take care of their physical, family, and mental well-being.

#5. Productivity Employees who do not take holiday time-off are missing out on the chance to refocus and even the most positive of employees are subject to burnout. Fact is that employees who do not take time-off are less productive!Remember that holidays allow people to recharge and attack their work with renewed vigor.

#6. Quality of timeTaking time off is also not just about quantity but quality. I’ve taken a week off that was not as relaxing as some simple evenings. This is why the activity that you do during your time off is very important. Like I said, make sure you disconnect completely and do something that is soothing and relaxing. A few hours of solid time off can make a huge difference.

#7. Utilise Weekends in Your Planning This is another fairly obvious strategy, but it’s worth mentioning. A day off here or there often doesn’t seem like enough time, but if you can sandwich a weekend, you have a much longer break. The classic example is taking off a Friday and a subsequent Monday, giving you 4 days off while only missing 2 days of work.

#8. Take a digital sabbaticalJust as you might have to set boundaries with people, taking quality time off might involve setting boundaries with the gadgets in your life too. Smartphones, laptops and tablets are all gifts of our day and age, but they also make it far harder to disconnect. When we’re distracting ourselves with the internet, TV, games or any other features of modern technology, we’re not taking quality time off: we’re distracting ourselves. Switch it off, leave it at home, and, most of all, be conscious of how you’re spending your time.

The benefits

Experience new things You will have new experiences that can lead to a broadening of horizons and the opportunity for learning and intercultural communication.

Allow for personal growth Holidays allow for personal and social development.

Share in your experiences with others Holidays promote shared experiences among family or friends.

Increase your well-beingHolidays decrease the risk of depression.

Contribute to overall family harmonyFamily holidays contribute positively to family bonding, communication, and solidarity.

Take every day of vacation you are given You will get more overall work done at a higher level of quality if you use your holiday time.

Increase your focus Holidays allow employees to return to work with a strong focus.

Don’t forget! Always give your employer plenty of notice of time you’d like to take off. Commit yourself to a break by booking flights and hotels in advance. Plan a holiday with friends and family so you can’t let them down by backing out. Delegate work to colleagues before you leave so you know you won’t return to chaos.

How does taking time off from your business and work help you? Additionally, what do you do to recharge and reinvigorate yourself?

Myriam Balerio is the founder and writer of PA Privé. After kick starting her career as a PA and finding success as an assistant, Myriam later trained in digital and online marketing and has since combined the two disciplines in creating PA Privé, the platform through which she provides sage advice for those in the assistant profession and a network for like-mined PAs and EAs to connect. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Myriam has lived in London for over 10 years and currently lives in London with her husband and French bulldog.

➳ Pin Us!

Advertisement

♥ Mascot Hall of Fame ♥

About Us

PA Privé is an exclusive portal that was created to address the needs of PAs and business professionals working for FTSE 250 companies and C-level decision makers. There hasn’t until now, been a platform for the Personal Assistant to access the quality content they have been searching for. PA Privé is soon to be a members only portal designed to deliver timely and consistent news and features, specifically relevant to the elite of the PA profession.